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Call Us NowCRS 18-7-402 is the Colorado law that prohibits soliciting children for prostitution, which is arranging a meeting for the purpose of trading money for sex acts from a child under 18. Soliciting for prostitution is a class 3 felony carrying four to 12 years in prison, possible fines of $3,000 to $750,000, and sex offender registration.
CRS 18-7-402 states:
(1) A person commits soliciting for child prostitution if he:
(a) Solicits another for the purpose of prostitution of a child or by a child;
(b) Arranges or offers to arrange a meeting of persons for the purpose of prostitution of a child or by a child; or
(c) Directs another to a place knowing such direction is for the purpose of prostitution of a child or by a child.(2) Soliciting for child prostitution is a class 3 felony.
In this article, our Colorado criminal defense attorneys discuss:
Under Colorado law, soliciting a child for prostitution is arranging – or offering to arrange – a meeting in order to pay a fee in exchange for sex acts with a minor under 18 years old. Soliciting also includes directing other people to a place for the purpose of engaging in child prostitution.1
Soliciting child prostitution is a felony in Colorado.
Patronizing a prostituted child (CRS 18-7-406) is defined as either:
Therefore, soliciting is more about planning for prostitution to occur. Patronizing is about actually engaging in prostitution.
As a class 3 felony, soliciting a child for prostitution carries these punishments:
Note that soliciting another adult for prostitution (CRS 18-7-202) is a petty offense in Colorado, carrying up to 10 days in jail and/or up to $300 in fines plus a possible extra fine of up to $5,000.4
Also note that patronizing child prostitution is punished the same as soliciting child prostitution.5
There are many possible defense strategies to Colorado charges of solicitation of child prostitution. Depending on the case, a criminal defense lawyer may be able to argue either:
It is a partial defense to argue that the prostitute was at least 18 years old. If the district attorney cannot prove that the prostitute in the case was a child, then the charge should be reduced to soliciting another adult – which carries laxer penalties.
Violating CRS 18-7-402 requires the defendant to register as a Colorado sex offender.
Prostitution of a child is a crime of moral turpitude as well as an aggravated felony. So non-citizens could be deported after serving their prison sentence.7 Learn more about the criminal defense of immigrants.
No. Colorado convictions for soliciting child prostitution can never be sealed. But there is no waiting period to get a record seal if the case gets dismissed.8
Learn how to seal criminal records in Colorado.
Anyone facing criminal charges for sex offenses in Colorado is welcome to call our criminal defense law firm for legal advice. We serve clients in Denver, Loveland, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Douglas County, Arapahoe County, and throughout the state. We defend against all types of charges from domestic violence to DUI.